On Saturday, Iran revealed a new arsenal, which reportedly featured the domestically produced Arman anti-ballistic missile system and the Azarakhsh low-altitude air defense system, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Against a backdrop of increased regional tensions, the announcement coincided with Iran-backed Houthi militants from Yemen conducting a series of attacks on vessels associated with the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel in the Red Sea, in a show of solidarity with the Gaza Strip.

In retaliation to the Houthi attacks, the United States has conducted strikes on locations within Yemen, as well as targeting facilities belonging to Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. Consequently, US military bases in Syria and Iraq have faced counterattacks. Additionally, Israel has taken action by targeting Iranian installations in Syria.

The induction ceremony of the two vehicle-mounted systems occurred on Saturday in the presence of Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani.

“With the entry of new systems into the country’s defense network, the air defense capability of the Islamic Republic of Iran will increase significantly,” IRNA said.

It said the Arman missile system “can simultaneously confront six targets at a distance of 120 to 180 kilometers,” while the Azarakhsh missile system “can identify and destroy targets… up to a range of 50 kilometers with four ready-to-fire missiles.”

In June, Iran presented what officials described as its first domestically made hypersonic ballistic missile, named Fattah, with a range of 1,400 kilometers.

Even before the outbreak of the conflict, Israel and Iran were longstanding adversaries, with Israel strongly opposing Tehran's nuclear program. In 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged for a "credible military threat" against Iran to prevent its acquisition of nuclear weapons. Tehran consistently maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and denies any intention of pursuing a nuclear bomb.

Iran celebrated the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7 but officially denied any involvement. Meanwhile, militant groups supported by Tehran in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen have increasingly targeted US and anti-jihadist coalition troops deployed in Iraq and Syria.

One such attack on January 28 on a base in Jordan killed three US military personnel, leading Washington to launch its strikes against pro-Iran targets in Syria and Iraq.

In response to the ongoing attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, the United States, in collaboration with Britain, carried out multiple strikes against the Houthi forces.

Image source: AFP